Clothes-Minded

What: A job search and networking Web site for former employees of Arthur Andersen
Who: Jonathan Goldsmith, founder of AndersenAlumni.net
Where: Chicago
When: April 2002

After getting laid off from accounting firm Arthur Andersen, Jonathan Goldsmith was inspired to make a fresh start-not only for himself, but also for his co-workers who had also lost their jobs. "Andersen was such a family," explains Goldsmith, 29. So he started his Web site, AndersenAlumni.net, a place where former Andersen employees could network, post resumes and find new job listings.

His sales are based on advertising, as Goldsmith didn't want to charge the Andersen alums a membership fee. At first, people had their doubts. "Everybody was telling me it was a stupid idea," he says. But not charging membership actually helped Goldsmith build a user base and attract advertisers. In fact, the advertisers sought him out after they heard about the site via word-of-mouth.

Now, with a user base of more than 6,000 Arthur Andersen alums and sales expected to surpass $70,000 this year, Goldsmith is looking to expand his business. He'd like to hire a staff (he's currently a sole proprietor), seek out more advertisers, and add new features and services for Andersen alums.

This article was originally published in the August 2003 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Clothes-Minded.